Shaw University Student Diagnosed With TB

Raleigh, NC -- A Raleigh university student is diagnosed with active tuberculosis, a contagious and potentially fatal bacterial infection.

Shaw University spokeswoman Odessa Hines said Friday the student lives off campus and was diagnosed Monday. The university issued a public statement Friday only after a student gave what Hines described as inaccurate information to the media.

Wake County Health Director Sue Lynn Ledford said a team of nurses responded to the campus Tuesday and performed a skin test used to screen for TB exposure on more than 100 people. About a dozen of those people were referred for further testing.

There were 16 cases of active TB diagnosed in Wake last year. Symptoms include chronic cough, fever and weight loss. Though serious, TB can in most cases be treated successfully with antibiotics.